A $1.2 million overhaul of the Platte Clove Bridge has been pushed to next year, leaving the crossing restricted to one lane while officials await state environmental approval.
The Greene County Highway Department carried out preliminary repairs last year on the historic 1895 stone arch bridge above Bridal Veil Falls as a first step in stabilizing the aging structure. The full overhaul had been expected to start this year.
“The construction project is scheduled to take a building season, so it would need to start in late April, early May through the entire season,” but not this year, said David Kukle, a Hunter town councilman who is president of the Mountain Cloves Scenic Byway.
Traffic restrictions cannot be lifted until the state review is complete, according to Erik LeClair, a vice president at the Albany-based engineering firm CDM Smith and project director of the Platte Clove Bridge rehabilitation.
“The expectation is that once we get past the winter shutdown for the south end of the road, the bridge will still be a one-lane crossing for vehicle traffic,” LeClair said. The traffic limit was imposed last summer after the state Department of Transportation red-flagged the bridge for deteriorating conditions affecting its foundation.
Repairs to a stone parapet wall on the downstream side of the bridge require placing a concrete roadway slab beneath the pavement, with concrete barriers on each side, LeClair said. To preserve the bridge’s historic 19th-century character, salvaged original stone could be used as facing for parapet walls bracing new concrete extensions.
The bridge overlooks Bridal Veil Falls on Platte Clove Road, aptly named for the narrow, steep valley it spans. Also known as Back Mountain Road, the road runs from West Saugerties up to Route 23A in Tannersville and traverses Devil’s Kitchen and Hell’s Hole, where severe slopes and rugged terrain have contributed to hiker deaths and injuries.
Greene County Highway Superintendent Scott Templeton said last year that the bridge has gradually been shifting for years, particularly on the southern, downhill side. A 2021 department study confirmed the movement, which Templeton attributed to runoff and the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle. He was not available for comment this week.
“Whenever we have a problem with Route 23A, the quickest way off the mountain into the valley is Back Mountain Road, so it’s our way out, cutting drive time in an emergency when someone needs to get to a hospital,” Kukle said.
Bridge construction is not likely to affect hikers, even during the early spring mud season, said Jeff Senterman, executive director of the Catskill Center. Hikers can access Platte Clove Preserve trails year-round without crossing the bridge.
Gates at the top and bottom of Platte Clove Road halt traffic until the spring thaw. Weather permitting, the mountain road opens each year sometime between April and May.
Funding for the project came mostly through the state’s BRIDGE NY program and included a $64,000 local match.
Barbara Reina is a contributing reporter. Reach her at reporting@theoverlooknews.com.